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  | NORMA WINSTONE / KIT DOWNES ~ OUTPOST OF DREAMS
ECM 2811 (Barcode: 602465191387) ~ UK ~ Jazz
Recorded: 2023 Released: 2024
This is an album by British Jazz duo comprising of vocalist Norma WinstoneFind albums by this artist and pianist Kit DownesFind albums by this artist. The album presents ten tracks, four of which were composed by Downes, another four were composed by various composers and two are traditional tunes. Winstone wrote the lyrics to nine of the tracks. The music was recorded at the Artesuono Studio in Udine, Italy and engineered by Stefano AmerioFind albums by this artist, and offers a sensational sound quality.
British vocal Jazz Diva Norma Winstone (born 1941) is in absolute top form and her many followers are able to enjoy another masterly album featuring her unique sensitivities and talents. This intimate duo setting is the best opportunity to hear her vocal delivery, which despite her age is still stunningly clear and convincing, as it has always been. This carefully selected set of compositions, which she enhances by adding her poetic lyrics, are immediately recognizable and characteristic of her work, which is magically expressive at all times. The album does require attentive listening and concentration, in order to enjoy the complex details, but the effort is fully rewarded.
Kit Downes (born 1986) is less than half Winstone’s age, and yet he proves to be an ideal companion in this musical enterprise. His idiosyncratic compositions and approach to the piano reflect ideally the aesthetic values in the singer’s stylistics, and their work proves to be way beyond just the sum of the ingredients, where they fit and complement each other perfectly.
I have been an admirer of Norma’s qualities since I first heard her in the late 1960s, when she was at the focus of the burgeoning new British Jazz explosion, recording one sublime album after another. Her collected recording legacy is an absolute treasure trove of British / European Jazz, and this album is another jewel in the collection.
Overall, this is another brilliant addition to the magnificent life-long career of this great Artist, which none of her many admirers will dare to miss in their collections. It is minimalist and demanding, but exquisitely beautiful and aesthetically gratifying.
| | Updated: 26/08/2024Posted: 26/08/2024 | CD 1 Slipcase Recommend To A Friend |
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